As we get ready for the festive season, it is time to consider what to buy friends and families, which is where our gift guide comes into play.
One of the trickier, and more expensive, hobbies to cater for is photography, and while most people interested in photography will likely pick up a new mirrorless camera on their own, there is still scope to to purchase a few other devices for those who enjoy snapping pictures or recording video.
We have compiled a list below of options to consider in our 2022 photography gift guide. We also have a number of gift guides to check out here, but if it’s an instant film printer, smartphone gimbal or drone you’re think of, read on.
Also, be advised that prices and links listed below in this gift guide are accurate at the time of writing.
Fujfilm Instax Mini Link 2 | R2 999
In recent years, instant cameras have had something of a renaissance but, nostalgia aside, these devices could prove a little limiting. This is why we are fans of the instant film printers that Fujifilm makes too.
One of its newer offerings is the Mini Link 2, which also boasts a few ASR features for those that are interested in such things. The more immediate features of interest are the ability to print any pictures from your smartphone library on instant film, as well as being able to add text to said images.
Buy here: Takealot
DJI Osmo Mobile SE | R2 299
Next is up is high-end smartphone gimbal from DJI in the form of the Osmo Mobile SE. The company has pretty much pioneered easy-to-use smartphone gimbals, and the SE is one of the more affordable options, while also offering several of the key features available in this lineup.
With 3-axis stabilisation, a magnetic pad to make attaching and detaching your phone easy, as well as boasting a neat foldable mechanism to make it perfectly designed for portability. For content creators in particular, this is a must.
Buy here: iStore
Insta360 Go 2 | R5 995
Our third pick is from a company you have likely heard a lot about recently, but instead of highlighting Insta360’s more expensive X3 action camera, we decided to go with the Go 2 instead.
It is relatively more affordable than some of the high-end action cameras out there at the moment, but it is still rich in terms of features.
This includes the ability to record in up to 3K or 1080p, as well as capture the audio of said recordings and taking 9MP images too. Connecting to your iOS or Android smartphone via WiFi or Bluetooth, the Go 2 has automated editing and can be attached to your collar or dashboard.
Buy here: Outdoor Photo
Joby GorillaPod 1K Tripod | R1 075
Sticking with content creation and handy photography accessories is the GorillaPod 1K Tripod from Joby. The look of it may be familiar, as seen in the image below, with the likes of Casey Neistat running and gunning with this setup for a number of years.
It is not a vlogging tool alone, however, as it can be used as a regular tripod to assist with setting up your camera for snapping pictures or recording video. Its flexible design also makes it capable of wrapping around objects to find interesting angles, as well as featuring a rotating head to assist in that regard too.
Buy here: Outdoor Photo
DJI Mini SE Drone | R5 999
We round off our gift guide with a rather expensive piece of kit – the DJI Mini SE Drone. While there are indeed larger, faster drones from DJI with greater battery life, the size and dimensions of the Mini SE make it a great choice for those wanting to explore drones, but necessarily looking to blow a massive budget.
Still the Mini SE is not short on features, recording footage in 2.7K and still images in 4000×3000, it also has a 3-axis gimbal and up to 30 minutes of fly time.
As we have seen with other drones from DJI, if you can spring for one of the Fly More bundles that have more batteries, it is well worth it.
Buy here: iStore
